War For Underworld

Kirito's Aspiration

Hours later, Centoria, Kirito

"Seems like part of the problem is how she's raising him," Kirito mutters as he and Asuna join Ronie as she watches Fanatio toss Berche towards the ceiling of the Great Hall of Ghostly Light. After so long, the council meeting is adjourned, so Kirito has some time to himself.

"W-well, one day he's going to be a knight and ride on a dragon, s-so... It's probably good for him to get used to heights at a young age."

"Between Sheyta's baby and him, the future's going to be a real disast...um, a real delight... And now that my work is done for the day, I'll go check on Unit Two."

"Wh-what? You've already got another one?"

"Yeah, and this one's amazing. Between the heat element engine and thrusters, there's a wind-element compressor, which makes it possible to engage in turbo--"

"Maybe instead of focusing on power, Kirito, you should do something about its safety!"

"Um, ex...excuse me, Kirito..."

Kirito disengages from the fury of Asuna to his nervous looking page. "Yeah?"

"Um, I wanted to talk... Ah, well, I wanted to ask you something, actually..."

Kirito grins. Sure, he wants to check on Unit Two, but he wouldn't put that before spending time with his young page. Whatever she has to ask him must be important. "Yeah, of course. I suppose we can have an early teatime. What about you, Asuna?"

"Well, I'd like to join you, but I'm supposed to be attending a lecture on sacred arts at the Great Library after this."

He shivers. "Ah, I see. Well, the second scribe is intimidating, I'll admit. Better not be late."

Asuna smiles. "Only to students performing poorly." Knowing Asuna, she's probably the star student as she is in the real world, She turns to Ronie and steps back. "Well, I'll see you at dinner, then. Ronie, make sure that Kirito doesn't fill up on sweets."

"I-I will!"

"I'm not a child..." Kirito watches as Asuna exits the chamber doors that heads to the lower parts of the Central Cathedral, then turns his attention back to Ronie. "So... I guess we could go up to the eightieth floor or so. I sure could go for some snowplum cake right about now."

"I'll have the kitchen staff prepare some for you."

"Get me two...no, three slices! I'll see you up there!" Kirito quickly strides away from Ronie before she can interject, heading in the direction of the levitation shaft. While he hopes he gets the three slices, if Ronie really knows her senior, she'd get him the entire cake.

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Two years ago, Kirito and his friend Eugeo defeated Fanatio and her Whirling Blades on the fiftieth floor and took the levitation shaft to ascend past the thirty floors between there and the Cloudtop Garden. Once they set foot on the eightieth level, they were met by a girl their age with blonde hair, blue eyes, and golden armor. They saw that girl not recently, as she was the knight that arrested them

Her name was Alice Synthesis Thirty, the Osmanthus Knight, or to Eugeo, Alice Zuberg.

Kirito replays the memories of the fight he had alongside Eugeo against Alice and everything leading up to his coma. The next time he'd see Alice, it would be as he tells Asuna and Koharu to take her up to the World End's Altar and send her to their world. By now, in real time, it's only been about a couple seconds with time in the Underworld moving thousands of times faster.

Hearing footsteps, he turns away from the osmanthus tree his hand lies on to see Ronie approach with a basket, tea kettle, and Tsukigake. "Hi. Thanks."

"This is one of the duties of a page, after all." She sets the area up by spreading a cloth, then assembling the plates for her, Kirito, and her dragon. To Kirito's delight, she did bring an entire cake, plating everyone a slice and pouring tea for the humans. "Dig in."